Pink Crime Fighting Against the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Queer Identity

By: Valena Beety

Published by New Press, 2026-05-07

Pink Crime is a revealing and deeply researched examination of the strategic use of criminal law by today's right-wing movement to limit the bodily autonomy of women and queer people. This powerful book examines the way the criminal justice system increasingly targets the most vulnerable populations and the alarming rate of wrongful convictions, uncovering how bias, stigma, and unreliable evidence have led to prosecution where no crime occurred.

Valena Beety, the recipient of an Independent Publisher Book Award for Women's Issues, whose scholarship was recently cited by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, paints a disturbing picture of how the deaths of loved ones--whether a husband who passed in his sleep or a child with a health condition--have been twisted into false accusations of murder due to systemic prejudices and prosecutorial overreach. The book goes beyond wrongful convictions to explore the criminalization of identity, revealing how today's legal system disproportionately punishes actions related to pregnancy, motherhood, and queer identity. Beety, whose previous work was called a "thought-provoking book about the American justice system" (Booklist) emphasizes how these legal mechanisms both strip away basic rights and lay the groundwork for even more oppressive measures in the future.

This deep and comprehensive analysis provides readers with historical context, real-life case studies, and a paradigm-shifting legal framework to understand the current threat posed by the strategic use of criminal law. By examining the interplay of wrongful convictions and the criminalization of vulnerable communities, Pink Crime serves as a wake-up call to advocates, lawyers, and citizens, equipping them with the knowledge and tools necessary to protect bodily autonomy and fundamental rights.